Category: News

SHANNON Airport will not be privatised by way of a radical plan for the State to enter into a lease arrangement with local business interests for a period of between 15 and 35 years.

That’s the message that has been delivered by Clare’s four members of Dáil Éireann this week ahead of this Thursday’s deadline for submissions to the team of consultants hired by the Government to engage with stakeholders in Shannon ahead of a New Year announcement on the airport’s future. The Clare People can reveal that none of the TDs have come out and supported the controversial privatisation plan, which was part of the submission made by Shannon Airport Authority chairman, Brian O’Connell, to Minister for Transport, Leo Varadkar in August.

The privatisation plan was rubbished by deputies Timmy Dooley (FF) and Michael Michael McNamara (Lab) as early as last September, and now Fine Gael TDs, Pat Breen and Joe Carey have followed suit and railed against the move that would see Shannon taken out of State hands for the first time in its 75-year history.

Instead, all four TDs are now back ing a move to make Shannon inde- pendent of Dublin Airport Authority control, while remaining firmly under government control as a key strategic State asset.

“The airport must be independent,” said Deputy Joe Carey in his submission to the Booz and Company team of consultants.

“Setting up an independent Shannon Airport Authority is the most desirable option for the future success of our airport.

“I am not saying independent of State ownership. State Ownership is critical to the well being of Shannon Airport.

“I advocate this enhancement of ownership to broaden the empower- ment and responsibility of the local community with a view to strengthening the local support for the Airport,” added Deputy Carey.

“I believe that it is important that the Airport remains under state ownership,” says Deputy Pat Breen. “To support the Airport’s efforts to return to growth under State ownership a review of our national aviation policy should be undertaken to strengthen that role.

“The governance and management structures of Shannon, will have to be changed to give greater local control for operations, financial and business developments. Shannon Airport can not be left paralysed as it has been by the previous administration,” adds Deputy Breen.

These comments have been echoed by Fianna Fáil transport spokesperson Timmy Dooley, whose has stated in his submission that he was “opposed to any privitisation of any of the State airports or part privitisation or concession agreements or long lease arrangements with whom so ever”.

In rubbishing the privatization plans, Labour’s Michael McNamara has said that “I hope that we don’t ever see the situation whereby there is a short-term effort to turn a buck at Shannon to the detriment of the longterm development of the region”.

HALF of all Garda vehicles in Clare are unfit for use and will have been scrapped within weeks, The Clare People can reveal.

Of the 33 cars in the Clare Division’s Garda fleet, eight have been scrapped, while another nine cars are nearing their maximum mileage of 300,000 kilometres and will soon be taken off the road.

Every pocket of the county will see reduced Garda patrols, as a result. The only detective car available to gardaí in Ennistymon is no longer available.

The district patrol car from Killaloe is no longer fit for use and has been replaced by a Tulla car, while cars from the Killaloe-based traffic corps are being used by gardaí on the beat.

Several of the cars attached to Ennis Garda Station are deployed across the county, in an effort to ensure rural parts are policed. No new vehicles are being purchased, due to cutbacks.

The head of policing in Clare, Chief Superintendent John Kerin, declined to comment on the figures, but Garda sources say the situation has got out of control and say they cannot do their job to the best of their ability without the basic re- sources.

Meanwhile, according to official figures obtained by The Clare People , 18 gardaí retired last year, while five have retired so far this year and another one will retire later this week, December 1.

Another 17 gardaí have indicated their intentions to retire by February, which will bring to 41 the number leaving the force since the beginning of last year.

A nationwide recruitment freeze means that numbers are expected to continue to dwindle until new recruits are taken on in a few years’ time.

“If they all go, we will have lost 41 people. At least 12 or 13 of the 17 have made their minds up,” said Chief Supt Kerin.

“If they all go, 41 is a hell of a lot of people,” he added.

The Ennis and west Clare districts are the hardest hit. 14 have retired in Ennis and outlying stations since the start of last year.

In west Clare, nine gardaí retired since the start of last year. Four gardaí retired in Killaloe last year and none this year.

One garda retired in Ennistymon last year and none are likely to retire this year. Last year, nine gardaí retired in Shannon, which included five from immigration at Shannon Airport.

“The biggest impact at the moment is Kilrush and the amount of experience lost in a rural district. It takes quite a while to build up experience. The people who left Kilrush last year have been replaced by others in the division.

“We had a few replacement people in Ennis, on transfers, and if I can I send replacements to Kilrush,” said Chief Supt Kerin.

However, transfers are rare and are not additional personnel.

Chief Supt Kerin said that there are no plans to close any of the rural stations where gardaí are retiring such as Doonbeg and Carrigaholt.

“Until we are told otherwise as regards the closure of stations we will be opening the stations for limited periods, two or three times a week. There will be cover.

“People will be able to carry out transactions, ordinary business,” he said.

Chief Supt Kerin said that decisions on the allocation of resources will have to be taken in February, while final numbers of retirees are established.

“It will be the end of February before we know who is retired. We will sit down and see if we have to reduce numbers in specialist units then,” he said.

SHANNON Airport would not be viable entity if its split from the Dublin Airport Authority, given its independence and forced to compete openly with Dublin and Cork for business.

This warning has been handed down by Fianna Fáil transport spokesperson Timmy Dooley in his submission to Booz and Company, which is set to deliver a report to government on the airport’s future by the end of the year. In the submission, secured by The Clare People this week, Deputy Dooley says it would be “unwise to consider changes to the ownership and management of the airport without having regard for the depressed state of the world economy”. Instead, Fianna Fáil, whose State Airport Act of 2004 sought to establish Dublin, Cork and Shannon as three separate competing state airports, has proposed the establishment of a new state company to have overall responsibility for the three airports.

“This company would operate as an umbrella structure similar to the CIE model and would ensure that a fair and competitive environment existed in which the three state airports could survive,” says Deputy Dooley.

“This company would be a state owned company with shares vested under the control of the Minister for Transport. A board of directors would be appointed by the Minister to give effect to such a mandate.

“Fianna Fáil suggests that separate trading entities be established at each individual airport and a clear memorandum of understanding be established between the Irish Airport Authority and the individual airport entities at Dublin, Cork and Shannon.

“Each individual trading company would be responsible for the management of the airport facility at the respective locations. Each company would have a separate board appointed by the minister and the shares vested under the control of the Minister for Transport.

“The mandate of these entities would focus on the necessity to provide vital connectivity to support and promote passenger access and cargo facilities to the respective regions having regard to long-term sustainability of the individual airports.

“It is recognised that a significant land bank asset exists at all three airports and it should be the responsibility of the respective trading companies to formulate plans for their development in consultation with local and regional State agencies and authorities,” Deputy Dooley’s submission adds.

TOURISM interests across Clare have been accused of lacking will and motivation to play their part in kick-starting the local economy by driving a co-ordinated plan for the the county’s biggest industry.

This broadside against hoteliers and tourist operators was delivered by former Mayor of Clare Flan Garvey during the 23rd annual Clare Tourist Council conference that was staged at the Falls Hotel in Ennistymon Thursday to Saturday last.

Mr Garvey, a founder member of the Clare Tourist Council in 1989 and a former chairman, launched his scathing attack on tourism interests over what he blasted as their “complete failure” to support the conference, out of “a selfishness where they are only interested in promoting their own interests and not Clare tourism”.

He made his comments during the conference that attracted a wide range of tourism interests from the local government sector, third level education, Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar and the European Union.

“The tourism operators in county Clare,” said Mr Garvey, “we promote their business but a lot of them ignore this conference and what we are trying to do for Clare tourism and what the Council has been trying to do at home and abroad for many, many years.

“We travel to promote their business and for some reason or other they seem to be in their own little closet, in their own little cocoon, fighting their own corner. People who are involved in Clare tourism should be working for Clare tourism,” he added.

The three-day conference attracted a number of keynote speakers, among them Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar, Declan Power of the Aviation Business Park in Shannon and Galway county manager Martina Moloney.

“All these people were coming together to promote tourism,” continued Flan Garvey, “but the support from Clare tourism operators wasn’t there. It’s alright for people to fight their own corner when looking for a share of the tourism market, but by having a co-ordinated plan for tourism is the best way forward, because that way everyone involved benefits.

“In Clare Tourist Council, we see the bigger picture. None of us are involved in tourism as an operator. I don’t make a penny out of tourism – I never did and I never will, but I have a passion for tourism, because I see it as saving the economy. I see tourism in Clare as being part of putting money in every house in the county,” he added.

CURRENT and former members of Ennis Brass Band will gather in the Temple Gate Hotel on Friday to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the band’s formation. After the main meal, at the Temple Gate Hotel, Ennis, the members and friends of the band will welcome all former members to join in the night’s reminiscing.

Re-formed in 1971, the brass band have competed numerous times at national and international level on behalf of the town and county. Over 40 years, the band has brought AllIreland and regional glory back to Ennis on numerous occasions.

The band have performed for the visit of high-profile politicians and dignatories to Ennis. In 2008, members were invited to perform at Arás an Uachtaran by former President of Ireland, Mary McAleese.

Countless young people have also passed through the ranks of the band, learning new musical skills and making friends for life.

This year, as part of the band’s celebrations, everyone who has ever played with the band is invited to join with current members at 9pm on Friday November 25, for an informal social night. Founders of the band and their partners will join with the band and their families to celebrate the anniversary and all former members who have played with the band over the years are invited to join.

Anyone who in the past has played with the band is invited to the Temple Gate Hotel, Ennis at 9pm to join in the fun.

A 68-YEAR-OLD north Clare woman who has been working as a carer for 20 years is to be forced to retire at the end of 2011 – because she is too old for the job.

Lahinch native Bridie Kennedy, has written a letter to newly elected President of Ireland Michael D Higgins who, at 70 years of age, would also be forced to retire five years ago if he worked as a carer.

Bridie has been looking after a neighbour who suffers from Alzhe- imer’s Disease for the past four years. Before that she worked in a local nursing home for more than 15 years. She received a letter last month informing her that she would be forced to retire at the end of the year. Bridie is employed by Clarecare and says that organisation has been very supportive of her position.

“I’ve been doing this for 20 years and it is very rewarding work. I wanted to be a nurse since I was a little girl of 18 years, I would have made a really good nurse,” she said.

“I think it is a real shame what is being done. This new rule has just come in and according to it I should have stopped working when I was 65. One of the reason why I went for the interview with Clarecare is that there was no upper age limit. Clarecare have been very good to work for – I don’t know what a lot of people would do without them.

“I work four hours each day with a neighbour of mine. She is just a five minute walk away and I walked up to her house every day last year during the snow and ice. She is a neighbour and I have known her for years. The family are very upset. They have known me for years and year and having a familiar person there is very important – especially with Alzheimers.”

According to Bridie, being forced to retire is going have a negative impact on her social life as well as her financial situation. “I’ve been working for 50 years and now, all of a sudden, I’ll have nothing to get up in the morning for. It’s just not fair. I’ve never been sick in my life and I’m never tired. It isn’t much money but it’s great to have a few extra pounds coming in every month. More than that though it’s about getting out and meeting people. I love older people and the stories that they tell. I tell my grandchild their stories and he thinks I’m making them up. I will miss that.”

The director of Clarecare Fiachra Hensey confirmed yesterday that the official age of retirement for carers with Clarecare is now 65 years old.

“The official age of retirement is 65 and that is a fact. I have the utmost sympathy for any carers who are in good health and want to keep working. I really do,” he said.

INAGH native Damien Queally has launched a major appeal for the people of Clare to support children in the developing world this Christmas. Damien, who is the Programme Manager of Plan Ireland, yesterday launched the Plan Ireland Christmas appeal with the help of Irish rugby legend Malcolm O’Kelly.

This year’s Life Gifts catalogue includes a number of unique Christmas cards as well as a unique range of photographic canvas prints, all of which will help to raise vital funds to make a lasting improvement to the lives of the world’s most disadvantaged children.

“These gifts will give much needed support and materials directly to the children and communities Plan works with in the developing world. By choosing a Life Gift, like a set for school or a gift of child sponsorship, you are giving a child living in pov- erty the chance of a better life and a gift like this is essentially priceless,” said Damien.

Damien has been working for the charity as Programme Manager since 2008. After graduating from UCD with a Masters in Economics in 1999, Queally spent two years working in banking, before taking a career break in 2001 to volunteer in India and Uganda. Captivated by his experiences in these countries, Damien decided to leave banking permanently and began his career in international development, working in countries such as The Congo, Niger and Darfur.

Plan Ireland is a child-centred community development organisation, part of Plan International which itself was founded over 70 years ago. It is an independent organisation with no religious, political or governmental affiliations. Nobel Peace Prize winner John Hume is the Patron of Plan Ireland. He and his wife Pat sponsor a

A NEW outreach centre for rape victims is being opened in Ennis, in response to demand from clients throughout the county.

That’s according to Rape Crisis Midwest, which will officially open its Ennis centre on the Clon Road at 4pm on Friday.

Demand for services in the midwest is significant, with 15 new calls received every week at its Limerick headquarters.

“This is in response to demand. We have delivering a service to the people of Clare since we opened up in the 1980s. We have found that people found the trip to Limerick quite hard, particularly those coming from the west,” said the director of fundraising with the organisation, Verena Tarpey.

The new centre will be operated on a part-time basis, two days a week; counselling services will be available on Mondays and Wednesdays by appointment. “Not only will there be long-term counselling but it will also provide support counselling for the family of a victim of a sexual attack. We also do court accompaniments,” said Ms Tarpey.

The waiting list for clients currently stands at four months, but those in need of immediate assistance are taken as priority.

“I think that more people are coming in looking for help. There is more awareness. There is also more awareness of the fact it is not something to be ashamed of either,” she said.

Fundraising will be crucial to the survival of the Ennis outreach centre. “We are receiving no government funding to pay for the overheads in Ennis such as rent and computer services. We get core funding for our service in Limerick. We made a huge decision to open it (Ennis). It is needed. We are relying on the goodwill of the people of Ennis,” she said.

“We have to stretch our resources. We want to do it to make the service accessible to the people of Clare,” she said.

The organisation is piloting a new education programme for transition year students in a number of schools in the mid-west, including Coláiste Mhuire in Ennis.

“We are piloting it in the mid-west and it is a first for Rape Crisis Midwest,” said Ms Tarpey.

“We felt that a pilot programme such as this would be beneficial to students. It educates them in relation to different aspects of the law of sexual offences and how alcohol can affect people,” she said.

“Students in particular would not necessarily want to avail of long-term counselling but they are aware of the different services that are available in the mid-west,” she added.

THE chances of another public toilet being installed in Ennis are somewhere between “slim and none”, a meeting has heard. Town manager Ger Dollard was speaking in response to a proposal aired at yesterday’s meeting of councillors in the Ennis West Electoral Area.

Cllr Tony Mulqueen (FG) called on the council to “provide a public toilet in Parnell Street car park, Ennis, for car park customers and taxis”.

Cllr Mulqueen told the meeting that the matter had been brought to his at- tention by local taxi drivers. He said drivers operating from Parnell Street car park had told him there was a need for the facility in the area. He said a public toilet would also help reduce the level of public urination taking place at night.

In response, town clerk Leonard Cleary explained, “Public conveniences have been provided in the market area and Abbey Street. It should be noted that a public convenience has a significant annual cost and daily management requirement.”

He added, “The matter can be brought to the attention of Ennis Town Council if the committee so desires.”

Town Manager Ger Dollard told the meeting that public conveniences “are hugely expensive”. He said Ennis Town Council had previously been criticised for the cost associated with maintaining public toilets. Mr Dollard said the chances of providing a new facility are “slim and none”.

Figures contained in Ennis Town Council’s 2010 annual financial statement showed that it cost € 70,000 to operate pubic toilets in the town.

ALL commercial waste produced in County Clare will have to be hauled outside the county from this Friday following the closure of the Central Waste Management in Inagh.

From this Friday, November 25, the landfill at Ballyduff beg will be closed to all commercial waste, with only waste for recycling and a small amount of domestic landfill waste accepted. This means that commercial producers in Ennis will now face a 145-kilometre round-trip to Gortadroma in south west Limerick or a 180-kilometre round-trip to the Green Star facility in Ballinasloe to properly dispose of their waste.

This move is the result of a decision made by Clare County Council in December of 2010 not to open a fourth cell at the Central Waste Management Facility at Ballyduff beg. The decision was made when projected figures from the council revealed that the landfill centre would become a loss-making venture in the years to come.

The revised figures are a result of the economic slowdown which saw a dramatic drop in the amount of waste being produced by the construction sector – resulting in a large drop in the price paid for disposing of landfill waste.

This dramatic drop in the price received for properly disposing of landfill also means that the Central Waste Management Facility in Bal- lyduff beg will be a loss-making venture for Clare County Council over its entire life-time and not the cashcow that some had described it as.

“A resolution was passed by the elected members of Clare County Council in late 2010 not to develop phase 4 of the facility once phase 3 had been completed,” said Paul Moroney, Senior Engineer with Clare County Council at Ballyduff beg.

“Phase 3 is scheduled to be completed by the end of this week. As a result, and in accordance with the resolution passed by councillors, the landfill will close to commercial customers.

“Small quantities of domestic waste will continue to be accepted from members of the public at the Ballyduff beg facility. The recycling centre will remain operational as normal.”

The Ballyduff beg facility has been a controvertial point for the people of Inagh for a number of years with a number of local residents complaining about smells and vermon activity at the facility.

Clare County Council was sited by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for breaches of its license on a number of occasions in recent years.

The Central Waste Management Facility in Ballyduff beg will remain open to all domestic customers from Tuesday to Friday from 8.30am to 4.30pm and on Saturdays from 8.30am to 1pm.